Air cleaner



A. -A. BULL AIR CLEANER Jan. 14, 1930.

Filed/Nov. 11, 1925 INVENTOR. fl w/M96 BULL I Patented Jan. 14, 1930UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE I ARTHUR A. BULL, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN,ASSIGNOR TO HANDY GOVERNOR CORPO- RATION, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN, A.CORPORATION OF MICHIGAIV AIR CLEANER Application filed November .11,1925. Serial No. 68,289.

This invention relates to air cleanersand more particularly to aircleaners for efficiently delivering purified air to carburetors for.

use with internal combustion engines.

In the past, in devices for cleaning air forv admission to carburetorsit has been the general practice to separate the dust particles from theair by centrifugal action, by a sudden reversal of the directionmovement of the air or a combination of the two. Many devices ofvaryingstructural characteristics have been utilized for so separating dustparticles from the air, but all of such devices have been objectionablein that the admission of the air to the cleaner and the initial orsubsequent rejection of the air column has caused a large amount ofnoise. Thus, regardless of the efficiency of the cleaner in separatingthe dust articles, the objectionable noise caused by t e entrance of theair has always been present.

The resent invention'primarily relates to means or directing air intoair cleaners without causing the large amount of noise as has heretoforebeen present. This production of noise caused by the entrance of the airto the cleaner is reduced to a minimum by means of a simple coverstructure which is adapted to be positioned at the opened end of the $9cleaner. This cover structure may obvious- 1y be utilized advantageouslywith various types of cleaners, but as shown in the present applicationI prefer to use this cover structure in combination with a novel compactair cleaner such as is described in my prior applications Serial Nos.729,866 and 26,860.

One of the objects of my invention con templates the provision of meanspositioned adjacent the air entrance of an air cleaner for forming arestricted entrance between the cover and the walls of the air cleanerfor controlling the amount of air entering the air cleaner and thusreducing the noise caused by variations in pressure, swirling action andother causes.

Another object of my invention has to do with the provision of an aircleaner having an open end, means in said open end for forming anannular space in the end of the w cleaner, means in the said space forimparttioned between said dome and said shell for giving the air aswirling motion, and means adjacent the open end of said shell for restricting the entrance of said air and "for directing the same to giveit the maximum amount of centrifugal action.

Other features of my invention will be brought out as this descriptionprogresses, and will be embodied in the claims appended hereto. Thevarious features of this invention are disclosed in the drawings whereinlike reference numerals designate similar parts, and wherein;

Fig. 1 is a vertical longitudinal section of an air cleaner providedwith my novel means for controlling the entrance of the air thereto.

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the structure shown in Fig. 1, being partly cutaway to show the arrangement of the vanes and dome beneath therestricting cover.

Fig. 3 is a detail view of thedome and vane structure which form a partof the air cleaner which I prefer to use in combination with my novelcover.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary detail view of the restricted opening at thebase of the air cleaner wall for permitting continuous discharge of theseparated dust particles.

In the drawings, the air cleaner which is shown and described in myprior applications Nos. 729,866 and 26,860, and which preferably forms apart of the present invention, comprises a conduit 1 which is adapted tobe readily connected to the intake manifold or inlet of any standardcarburetor. This conduit is connected with the source of vacuum supply,produced by the motor, and as shown, is preferably positioned centrallyof the base of the cleaner and extends upwardly into the inside thereof.The shell of this cleaner struc- .ture which may be designated 3 ispreferably integrally formed with an open ended cylindrical portion anda closed end or bottom 4 which terminates in a flange 5. This flange 5forms a pressure fit with, or may be otherwise suitably secured to theconduit 1.

The inner portion of this bottom 4 is preferably shaped, as shown inFig.1 to receive a hood or baflie member 6 which as shown, extends fromthe conduit 1 outwardly and downwardly towards the periphery of thebottom of the shell 3. This baflle 6 termiment therewith. The upper endof this rod 7 is threaded to receive a nut or lock washer 8. A dome 9,preferably shaped as shown in Fig. 1', and provided with the vanes 1.0,is

adapted to be frictionally held in a stationary position in the open endof the shell 3. The vanes 10-are preferably shaped and spirallypositioned about the circumference of the dome 9, as-best shown in Fig.3. It will be obvious that the dome 9 with its vanes 10, may be insertedin the open end of the shell 3 about the shaft 7, the outer ends of thevanes being formed to seat upon the flared end of the shell 3.

A cover 11, preferably bowl shaped, is provided with anaperture in thecenter thereof whereby the cover may be positioned by means of the rod 7at the open end of the shell 3, as best shown in Fig. 1. The baseof thisbowl 11 preferably seats upon the upper edge of the vanes 10, as bestshown in Fig. 2, and it will be obvious that the screwing into positionof the nut 8 will centrally locate and securely position the dome member9 with its vanes 10, and the cover 11 in the open end of the shell 3. I

Due to the shape of the vanes 10 the cross sectional area of the openingat the base ofthe vanes is less than the cross sectional area at theentrance of the vanes. The base of the dome 9 may also be outwardly anddownwardly flared and such outward and downward flare would also tend todecrease the cross sectional area of the opening at the base of thevanes. The bowl shaped cover 11, is therefore of such predetermineddiameter that is will form an annular opening between its periphery andthe upper edge of the shell 3, whereby the cross sectional area of suchannular opening will be approximately equal to the cross sectional areaof the open ings at the base of the vanes 10. It will be understoodhowever, that I do not intend to limit myself to making the crosssectional area of this annular inlet equal to the ,cross sectional areaof the openings at the base creation of noise, and it will be understoodthat such cover 11 may be of such diameter as to restrict the entranceof the air to prevent the creation of unequal pressures and of eddycurrents normally created by the vanes.

In the normal operation of my air cleaner, the air entering the annularopening between the 'dome 9 and shell 3 will be given such a downwardand outward swirling motion by the vanes 10, that such air will bedirected past the upper edge of the conduit 1 and towards the lowerouter edge of the shell 3, where the separated dust particles will beentrapped by the hood 6 and continuously discharged through therestricted openings 13, positioned circumferentially around the outeredge of the base 4. By providing a bowl shaped cover 11,"the airentering the cleaner will not only be restricted as to volume, but willalso be directed towards the outer edges of the vanes 10. Thus substantially all the air entering theannular space between the dome 9 and theshell 3, will be given a maximum centrifugal action due to the fact thatsuch air will contact with the outer surfaces of the vanes 10.

I have shown and described my air cleaner as operatin in a verticalposition. "This is the most a vantageous position for successfuloperation due to "the combined effect of the centrifugal action andgravity. However, my air cleaner will eifectively separate the dustparticles from the air when positioned horizontally, due to the factthat the annular column of incoming air, is given a positive spiralswirling motion past the upper edge of the baflie conduit and towardsthe outer periphery'of the base of the shell 3.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

1. An air cleaner comprising a shell having an open end, a cylindricalmember of less diameter than the shell positioned centrally of said openen'd,a plurality of vanes positioned between said member and said shellfor giving the air an axial and outward swirlin motion, and means adated to seat upon sa1d vanes for directing t e incoming air toward theouter ends of said vanes.

' 2. An air cleaner comprising a shell having an open end, a domepositioned centrally of said open end, a plurality of vanes positionedbetween said dome and said shell for giving the air an am'al and outwardswirlin motion, and means positioned above said dome and open end of theshell for directing the incoming air towards the outer ends of saidvanes. 3. A11 air cleaner comprising a shell having an open end, acylindrical member positioned within and centrally of said open end, aplurality of vanes positioned between said member and said shell forgiving the air an axial and outward swirling motion, and meanspositioned above the vanes for directing incoming air toward the outerends of said vanes said means being of materially less diameter than theopen end of said shell for predetermining the cross sectional area atthe entrance to said vanes relative to the cross sectional area at thebase of said vanes whereby the noise caused by the entrance of the airinto the cleaner, is reduced to a minimum.

4:. An air cleaner comprising a shell having an open end, a 'domepositioned centrally of said open end to form an annular chamher at saidopen end, and a plurality of vanes positioned between said dome andshell for forming a plurality of spiral channels for the entrance of theair and a single axially sloping member above and at the open end ofsaid shell and of materially less diameter than the open end of theshell for predeterng the cross sectional area at the entrance to saidvanes relative to the cross sectional area at the base of said vaneswhereby the noise caused by the entrance of the air into the cleaner isreduced to a minimum.

5. An air cleaner comprising a shell having an open end and a closedend, a conduit positioned centrally of said closedend and extending intosaid shell for forming a relatively deep chamber at the base of saidcleaner, and stationary vanes positioned adjacent said open end forgiving the incoming air an axial and outward swirling motion past theedge of said conduit and means for directing the incoming air towardsthe outer ends of said vanes.

In testimony whereof Ihave affixed my signature.

ARTHUR A. BULL.

